Deception
by the stargate time traveller
Summary: AU. ' Unending,' the Asgard are preparing to die, so the Tau'ri believe. A peek into Thor's thoughts as he considers the plan drawn up by a time traveller. First in my series of stories featuring the AARU Doctor Who and Stargate.


**This is my first Stargate story, but believe me its up for a reason. This is the first crossover between the Dr. Who movies starring Peter Cushing and Stargate I'm gonna write.**

**Deception.**

* * *

Thor, Supreme Commander of the Asgard fleet pressed the control the turn on the Asgard computer core, admiring the sounds it made as it hummed, safe in its blue-silver light. The database resembled what the Tau'ri would call an organ, a musical instrument, which was where Thor based most of the design on. To the left and right of the centre screen were two stacks of crystals resembling icicles. The Supreme commander of the Asgard had indeed worked hard on this project, and he'd spared no time thinking about the aesthetics for the design. The Asgard mind valued appearance as well as functional efficiency. To them the appearance of a device went hand in hand with their Norse philosophy.

The Asgard was also trying to avoid directly looking at Colonel Carter, more out of guilt than of present feeling. He felt guilty about what he and the others of his kind were about to do, but they truly had no choice. In the time they'd known each other, Thor had grown to admire the woman. His admiration for her and her fellow team members had begun when they'd come to him for help when the Goa'uld Heru'ur had conquered the planet Cimmeria, a world under his, Thor's protection. Other races would never have risked their lives in such a manner, but the humans from Earth were truly a different breed. In any case the invasion was there fault, even if it had been to save the life of Teal'c, a Jaffa who'd done the impossible and broken away from Apophis.

The fact the humans would seek out the Asgard to help and own up to their actions...It had allowed Thor to easily forgive them. In fact he'd welcomed the break from dealing with the Replicator threat even if dealing with the Jaffa army on a protected planet was childsplay.

It was when Carter had come with him to find a way to destroy the Replicator force on its way to Othala that Thor finally had the opportunity to experience her company. Granted, she wasn't as intelligent as Thor himself, though he didn't judge her for that unlike other Asgard. Indeed it had been her suggestion to destroy the O'Neill in hyperspace that had been such an obvious, and rather simple plan that was an alternative to sending ships and Asgard crews to certain death that had awarded her his trust and friendship.

Now...

Thor had learnt from Heimdall when the former had returned from his temporary abode in the crystals of Anubis's ship that the humans now knew about their cloning problem. He hadn't been surprised, nor disappointed when he'd discovered that little bit of news. Heimdall's research would have been a curious one, and they would've learnt the truth about the Asgard's biggest mistake eventually so Heimdall had seen no need to hide. Freyr hadn't been pleased, but when Thor had returned in a new cloned body, he'd argued with the councilor. Freyr had never been too fond of the humans, but he too had grown to respect them. SG1 had rapidly become highly respected by many Asgard, and even Freyr and Hermiod would've found it hard not to appreciate the humans abilities despite their own shortcomings.

Anubis' attack on Earth had used up many resources of the Asgard to repair. Thor himself would never forget the blackened state of the usually shining blue planet, so similar to that of Othala, and now Orillia. He remembered how the Asgard had partially repaired the atmosphere, and other allies like the Tok'ra and the Nox had come to render aid whilst the Asgard brought the Goa'uld a long overdue punishment, but it had been worth it. The attack had finally opened the eyes of the humans from their petty squabbles, and allowed them to meet other lifeforms. Many humans, some of them sick and injured military officers from around the planet, had willingly joined the ranks of the Tok'ra, whilst the Nox had used their abilities to treat and heal the Earth. The Asgard had sent their people to help teach the humans how to do this and that, under escort from the SGC of course as there were still humans who might attack an alien out of anger.

Heimdall and Freyr had found themselves teaching at a human school, the latter had found himself adored by the children, who'd been sorry to see him go. It had been heart warming to watch Heimdall interact with children, enjoying his sense of enthusiasm as he taught young minds, and teach them the basics of science. Freyr, much to Thor's surprise, had enjoyed his experience as well despite dreading it at first.

Now the Tau'ri knew of aliens and had, with the Nox's help, created a number of Stargates, even developing their own network for security reasons on their new colony worlds. The Goa'uld were no longer a problem as the humans had grown stronger, building a fleet of ships, and gone out through the galaxy. Now the Goa'uld empire had been shattered, and Thor wasn't really sorry to see the parasites virtually gone. The free Jaffa nation had also been a slap in the Goa'uld's face, more and more of the 'Gods' had lost more of their followers.

The devastation to Earth had been beyond doubt, but Thor could see it was the fault of the Americans with their desires for secrecy of the running of the Stargate. Thor could remember dealing with Senator Kinsey, and it had worried him. If this man was any indication, many humans were corrupt and dangerous. Now he'd wished he'd asked the ambassadors from the other countries on Earth to work with the SGC instead of against it, and had General Hammond persuade the President of America to allow for disclosure of the entire project. Under those circumstances the world would've accepted the news with grace.

Instead the Tau'ri had learnt the truth through pain, smoke, and death. Earth was still rebuilding, but luckily one of the human scientists had managed to persuade the Asgard to modify their matter-transporter technology to rebuild the matter, esentially reversing it to repair large areas of the planet. It had been decided that to learn their new lessons, they would rebuild the cities, spending time and effort on them.

Thor shook himself out of his thoughts as the database lit up, taking pride in his work.

" If you like," Thor said, pulling Carter's attention to himself, " you'll be able to interface with the core using a holographic representation of me or any other Asgard on record in the knowledge base."

To his consternation but not his surprise Carter shook her head, " I'm sorry but that just won't be the same."

Thor sighed. It had taken Thor and Susan Who a long time to persuade the council to begin work on the plan the Alteran descendent had devised, and part of the plan was this core. It hadn't been easy for an Asgard with as many duties and responsibilities as Thor.

" I have been working on this for the better part of a year, Colonel Carter," Thor replied, somewhat hurt but he understood how she felt. To her, this was a tragic goodbye.

" And we appreciate it, really." Carter replied hurriedly.

" Many on the council did not believe we should be imparting such advancements." Thor added.

Indeed they hadn't. The Asgard policy was not to hand over their technology to any race, lest it be used for a purpose outside which the Asgard themselves used their science. Their law was typified by the Tollans, who'd given some of their technology to another race, and they'd ended up destroying their homeworld, and then the Tollans. It was that kind of irresponsibility that made races like the Asgard wary of even explaining how something as simple to them worked. Even the Nox, despite their pacifistic nature, wouldn't do such a thing.

Susan Who had come to them in TARDIS, the time and space machine developed by her grandfather with a bold plan to safeguard the Asgard species, but only if they followed a specific plan. The Asgard people had long since prided themselves on their wisdom and logic, and they'd logically accepted when researchers like Heimdall and others had failed to find a cure to the cloning disease, and the answer was the end of the Asgard.

30,000 years of history were going to end, but then Susan, a long time friend of the Asgard had arrived like a miracle, and she'd come with a plan. Part of it was to fake their deaths, impart their knowledge to the Tau'ri, and give them the responsibility to protect the worlds in the Protected Planets Treaty.

" Well, I promise we shall do our very best not to let you down." Carter said.

Thor was disappointed, disappointed that Samantha Carter would even think that. Yes, the Tau'ri were known for making monumental mistakes, but usually for good reasons and best intentions. Thor himself had seen many races make mistakes, blunders were a more appropriate description, and it wasn't always the humans fault. No race could survive without making mistakes. Even the Ancients had been far from perfect.

Look at the Asgard; they'd gone down a path that spelt the end of their race, for immortality, and for a time it had worked with Asgard bodies simply aging before the mind was downloaded into a new, slightly younger body. Now they were depending on a time and space traveller to help them with something that was their responsibility, but if there was any hope it was to be taken. It was something he'd learnt from his long association with SG1, to never lose hope.

" You are the Fifth race." Thor said, and Carter's eyes started to tear up. " Your role is clear. If there is any hope in preserving the future, it lies with you, and your people."

Carter smiled, though Thor, even with his limited knowledge of human facial expressions, could tell the smile was forced.

" No pressure, huh?" She asked, trying to lighten the mood. Thor had noticed that definite trait among the Tau'ri, when faced with something sad or terrifying, they always tried to be optimistic. It was a wonderful trait to have.

" You have earned my respect. And my friendship." Thor went on. He wished he could tell Samantha the truth, but he couldn't. It was vital for the plan to work, the restoration of the Asgard. In all the time he'd known them, Thor had never had reason to lie to his friends amongst the SGC. Now he was, and he was hurt too. He knew when they found out the truth, as Susan had promised she would reveal it when they discovered a record of TARDIS's first trip out in space and time, then there would be a reckoning. Thor didn't know the specific details of where TARDIS had travelled too before Dr. Who, accompanied by Susan and Louise Who had arrived on Othala.

Colonel Carter's eyes were definitely leaking with tears. Thor envied that; he wished he himself could cry, but that particular aspect of Asgard physiology had been removed from the genome by centuries of genetic manipulation.

" Well, the feelings mutal." She replied, her voice thick with sadness.

" Please do not be sad." Thor whispered, not wanting to see his friends anguish. It had been bad enough telling Jack O'Neill. " The end of my people has been a long time coming. We have made too many irreversible mistakes in our development. Hopefully you can learn something from it." As Thor finished that sentence he wished that every ascended being in existence was listening, hoping they wouldn't let the present incarnation of humanity go down the path of cloning as the Asgard had.

The Ancients had warned the Asgard about the dangers of cloning, as did the Nox and the Furlings, but the Asgard had been taken in with immortality it had never occurred to them of the dangers until it was too late. The most painful part was memory.

Thor could recall how it had felt to have strong limbs, be able to enjoy fruits and vegetables instead of concentrates designed to nourish the clone tissues. That had probably been why Colonel Carter had been disgusted by them when she'd helped the Asgard fight off the Replicators. Now Thor felt weak, his arms and legs were spindly, and he was much shorter than he had been many centuries ago.

Thor gazed into Carters eyes, wishing not for the first time she could see a genuine emotion. He'd heard of the expression the Tau'ri humans had, that the eyes were the windows to the soul. Thor had no idea if he still possessed one, but he wished he had now instead of black eyes. It would have been good for Colonel Carter to see that the Asgard infront of her was almost soulsick himself.

Sincerely, he added, " My only regret is that our physical weakness has left us incapable of helping you further."

Despite having just given them the database, Thor knew the basic sciences would take decades for the finest human minds to comprehend it, and centuries for them to develop from them. This database was in fact a gift, rather than a departing present. The Asgard council hadn't stopped the humans from annhiliating the Goa'uld, in fact they'd approved of it. The Goa'uld had needed a lesson, and who better to give it than the Tau'ri?

Their rebuilding of Earth had allowed the Asgard a tremendous vision of the human integrity. No matter how much pain they suffered, they would always bounce back. That was one genuine reason they were imparting these advancements, the humans had grown up. Thor would be the first to admit he agreed with the assessment they needed time to learn from their mistakes, but they would. This database would never be abused. People like Samantha Carter and Jack O'Neill would never allow it.

Thor took in the colonels expression. She seemed to be calmer now, for which he was grateful. She smiled, yes with a touch of sadness, but there was something more there. To Thor's surprise, she blinked, and then reached over and hugged him.

The first time Colonel Carter had hugged her was after the O'Neill had been destroyed in hyperspace, taking the Replicator controlled ships with it in the blast. That had been more of a victory hug, but Thor remembered how she'd pulled back when she realised what she'd been doing. He could remember the fear in her voice when she'd asked him if she'd hurt him.

Thor had quickly but calmly reined in his shock, and reassured her. The Asgard didn't hug each other, but this one was certainly different. Thor could feel her calm but staggered breaths, and how firm her arms were as they interlocked around his frail body. She didn't want to let go, lest she doesn't see me afterwards. Thor realised that thought. Gently, and as best he could after a second of hesitation, Thor wrapped his own frail limbs around her. He felt her surprise, but her acceptance.

For a long moment, Asgard and human held each other.

Alarms started to sound, and the Odyssey pitched as it shook. With a jolt, Samantha and Thor broke out of the hug, looking around in confusion.

Major General Landry, O'Neill's replacement as commanding officer for the SGC, came over the comm system. " Colonel, this is the bridge. We have a contact. Ori motherships have dropped out of hyperspace, and are bearing down."

Carter had moved towards the engineering console away from Thor to answer the message. " Sir, the hyperdrive is still offline. Diverting power to the shields."

Thor could feel the anticipation of battle, but this was a fight he couldn't enter. It galled the Asgard Supreme Commander that the war with the Replicators, and the now almost extinct Asgard race was in tatters. All the ships were awaiting departure, and he was needed, but he felt so hopeless. After so many years on the frontline, helping guide fleets of ships with his abilities, all he was doing was sitting here watching as his friend operated the master engineering console.

Holding up a hand, Thor gave his last order to Carter, " You must go." Carter looked at him. It was the last thing he saw, and he savoured the image of her face before he left, though on an intellectual level he knew he would see her again.

The familiar pulling / tingling sensation of an Asgard transporter shifted Carter's face from view until the transporter deposited him on the bridge of an Asgard ship. There were four Command Thrones, three of them occupied already. Penegal, Freyr, and Heimdall, all three of them blinking at him silently. To an outsider, none of the Asgard were showing emotion on the bridge. To Thor, their expressions were clear. Like him they felt guilty for deceiving so many people, but they had no choice. Even some of his crew looked away.

The fourth throne was waiting for him. For the Supreme Commander of the Asgard fleet.

Thor sat down silently. He didn't need to ask for a tactical report, he could see two of the three Ori ships start to descend in Orillia's atmosphere, their shape reminding Thor of the religious arrogance that bound Ori society together, and the ships currently descending would make a primitive race believe a god was coming. In that respect they were like the Goa'uld, but unlike the Goa'uld, the Ori had the means to back themselves up. Thor watched as the Odyssey evaded the Ori beam weapons, chasing after the human ship.

" We must seal the deception," Penegal said, reaching over with his hand for the destruct control stone. Thor reached a decision. " No." He said, stopping the council leader. Penegal stopped, blinking at him in surprise, his hand still on the contro stone.

Thor continued, lest the others believed he was mutinying against the Asgard High Counci. " We have come this far. This is our responsibility." He gazed at the other two Asgard before placing his hand on the control stone.

Heimdall nodded, " I agree, Thor." The scientist placed his own hand on the stone. Heimdall and Thor shared a look. The Supreme Commander could see in the Chief Scientists eyes sadness and guilt, but more guilt for not being able to find a cure without looking for outsiders to help. Unlike the Vanir and Loki, who couldn't understand their reasoning, the Asgard Council and Thor had decided the cloning problem was their mess. Therefore it was their responsibility.

Susan Who's idea had come just in time.

Freyr was the last to place his hand on the stone. " We are one people." He whispered.

Together they moved the stone.

" Supreme Commander, councilors," one of the crewmembers reported, " Sensors are detecting the build up for detonation now."

Thor nodded. " Very good." He said solemnly. Once more the Asgard were deliberately destroying their home, and Orillia was a new world.

With solemn eyes the number of Asgard on the many ships on the moons of the system watched as their new but now doomed homeworld exploded, taking the Ori ships with it. Tailored gravity wave generators had shifted the sand to form protective blankets of sand to cover the Asgard fleet, or rather what remained of it, to stop the Ori invaders and the Tau'ri from picking up their signals. The Asgard had been preparing this for days, placing the ships on the moons, camouflaging them. Before they'd summoned the Tau'ri, the Asgard had been moving their civilisation onto those ships, with six ships sent ahead to the new colony world.

Thor looked around the crowded bridge, trying not to show any emotion at the number of Asgard present. There were many Asgard in the room. Then again the majority of their culture, their technologies, and their histories were loaded into every available space on the convoy. The other ships were passenger vessels.

The crammed conditions had angered Thor when the full force of the plan to trap the Replicators on Othala, and now they were exasperating him today.

Freyr was watching the screen showing the Odyssey and the Ori ship. " Why do they not attack or flee?" He asked.

" Colonel Carter was diverting power to the shields when I was transported out," Thor replied, hoping his friends were alright. " Hopefully they are preparing to attack now."

Thor's estimation was correct, but all the Asgard would have been pleased if it had been them doing it. The Odyssey, propelled by her forward momentum, pitched upwards, and flew towards the Ori mothership. The four Asgard seated in the command thrones watched with satisfaction as the Odyssey fired blue beams of brilliant plasma, one of many Asgard modifications.

Freyr turned his head to Thor. " I should never have doubted their abilities to use our technology."

Thor didn't reply. Quietly the Asgard watched and waited as the Odyssey opened a hyperspace window and was gone. Thor watched it go. Be safe, my friends, he thought to himself, wishing them well on new adventures. Thor shook himself out of his reverie. This was the future now, and it was responsibility to do what was expected of him. The Supreme Commander turned to the communications station.

" Send a signal to the rest of the fleet," he instrusted. " They are to remove the camouflage, and plot in a course for New Othala." Glancing at Penegal for permission, he added. " Prepare for the resurrection of the Asgard."

* * *

Casting their sandy blankets aside, the Asgard ships lifted off the surfaces of the moons they'd been hiding on. Many of them were old, centuries old by human standards. The Beliskner class ships, massive and sturdy, gleamed in the sunlight of the solar system. The O'Neill class ships, new and infinitely superior, gleamed silver in contrast to the dark blues/blacks of the Beliskners.

All Asgard ships followed a certain philosophy, the warships possessed hammerheads as a symbolic gesture of war, poised to be hurled at a moments notice to smash an enemy. Following the O'Neills and Beliskners came the shuttles, cargo ships and science vessels.

Opening hyperspace windows, the Asgard vessels entered hyperspace.

One day the Asgard would return.

* * *

**Please tell me what you think.**


End file.
